Colt wins by the Numbers at Belmont

Beancounter Stables' I'M A NUMBERS GUY (City Zip) made the successful

transition from maiden winner to stakes hero on Saturday when taking on 10

rivals in the $114,300

Bertram F. Bongard S. at Belmont Park. In the process, the Tim Ritchey

charge boosted his earnings to $58,860 in just his second career start.

Content to settle just off the leader through a first quarter in :22 3/5 and

the first half-mile in :46 1/5, I'm a Numbers Guy was given the signal by jockey

Stewart Elliott in upper stretch and easily opened up by 2 1/2 lengths through three-quarters in 1:11. From there, it was merely a question of what the

final margin would be, as the chestnut colt lengthened his stride to finish

seven lengths in front of his nearest rival at the wire while completing seven

furlongs on the fast dirt in 1:24 2/5.

As the 2-1 favorite, I'm a Numbers Guy rewarded his backers with $6, $4 and

$2.80. Bad Boy Rising (Freud) secured second by 2 1/4 lengths over Solid Strike

(Precise End), paying $5.50 and $3.40 at 5-1, while show returned $7.90 at 30-1.

The exotics were worth $41.60 (exacta), $543 (trifecta) and $4,573 (5-6-4-2

superfecta). Baxter (American Chance), The Zipster (City Zip), Market Psychology

(Freud), Horse Thief (Distinctive Pro), Motor West (Western Expression), Elusive

Fox (E Dubai), It's Magical (Performing Magic) and Tobruk (Out of Place)

completed the order under the wire.

I'm a Numbers Guy is the first stakes winner for his dam, the winning Midway

Gal (Midway Circle), and could return next in the Sleepy Hollow S. on New York

Showcase Day, October 21.

Live Oak Plantation's WIN WITH A WINK (Dixieland Band) moved her record to a

perfect three-for-three when capturing the $112,100

Joseph

A. Gimma S. under Fernando Jara. Making her stakes debut in the

seven-furlong test, the Bill Mott-trained lass pushed her earnings to $121,860

with the score.

Sent off the 6-1 fourth pick in the 10-horse field, the bay juvenile miss was

bumped at the start, but still managed to move up into second to press the early

pacesetter One Tough Belle (Good and Tough) through fractions of :22 4/5 and :46

4/5. Hitting the stretch, Win With a Wink wrested the lead away and quickly

pulled off for the 2 3/4-length victory, stopping the clock in 1:25 2/5.

The winner gave back $14, $5.70 and $4.10 while starting the $37.60 exacta,

$147.50 trifecta and $1,258 superfecta (1-10-2-5). Laurentide Ice (Intidab)

rallied from midpack to take second, paying $4.20 and $2.90 as the 2-1 favorite,

by 2 3/4 lengths over Crosstown Traffic (Good and Tough), who returned $4.60 at

4-1. Icy City (Carson City) came next and was followed by One Tough Belle,

Distinct Pleasure (Distinctive Pro), Belle Harbor (Phone Trick), Precious Too

(Precise End), Hold That Thought (Freud) and Tre' Bon Pro (Distinctive Pro).

Win With a Wink is out of With a Wink (Clever Trick), who captured the 1994

Delaware H. (G2). The winner's full sister, multiple stakes victress Jena Jena,

landed the 1998 Joseph A. Gimma, and her half-brother, stakes winner Up Like Thunder (War Chant),

took the 2004 Bertram Bongard.

Mott

said his charge would likely come back for the October 21 Maid of the Mist S.